Leads Set for "Rock 'n' Roll"

Rufus Sewell, Sinead Cusack and Brian Cox have been announced as the stars of Stoppard's latest play.

Spare a Thought for Jack, the Self-Emasculating Tapir

I usually pay scant attention to stories about wacky "birds-and-bees" tours at zoos, but the graphic nature of this one really made me do a double-take. I hear there have been no major complaints from The Chronicle's loyal readership. I don't know whether to compliment our audience on its openmindedness or despair that no one seems to read what we print.

Soul Patch

New review in The San Francisco Chronicle, covering three books that, in one way or another, address the mind/body problem and the existence of the soul: Ian McDonald's "River of Gods," Christopher Moore's "A Dirty Job" and John Scalzi's "The Ghost Brigades." All three get high marks.